Dispensing device



: Feb. 23, 1932. GRUBER 1,846,482-

DISPENS ING DEVICE Filed Jan. 14, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ill" INVENTOR BY7zz5 ATTORNEY a;

Feb. 23, 1932. GR'UBER 1,846,484

DI SPENS ING DEVICE Filed Jan. 14, l950 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR BY 771s TTORNEY I Feb. 23, 1932. L, R BE 1,846,484

DISPENSING DEVICE Filed Jan. 14. 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig. 9. Z2

IN V EN TORQ Feb. 23, 1932. 1 GRUBER 1,846,484

DISPENSING DEVICE Filed Jan. 14, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. "4 I BYW i ATTORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 23, 1932 UNiTED STATES PATENT QF'FECE LOUIS .GRUBER, on NEW YORK,1\T.Y., assrenon 'ro IRVING PAUL SCHWENGER, on NEW YORK, it. y.

nrsrnnsrne nnvrcn Application filed January 14, 1920. Serial No. 420,680.

This invention relates to dispensing devices and has for one of its objects the provision of a box or container having a stack of sheets of paper or other fiat articles therein, with means for permitting the withdrawal or feeding of one of such articles therefrom at a time.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character, having means therein for feeding the bottommost sheet of paper or other flat article upon the forward movement of an operating handle and for positioning the next sheet or article into gripping position on the return stroke of the bandle to be fed outwardly by the next forward stroke of the handle. 7

Another object is to produce a device of the character described in which the maximum simplicity of construction and operation is secured. V

Other objects and advantages will appear as the nature of the improvements is better understood, the invention consisting substantially in the novel arrangement and co-relation of parts herein fully described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, where in similar reference characters are usedto de scribe corresponding parts throughout the several views, andthen finally pointed out and specifically defined and indicated in the appended claims.

The disclosure made the basis of exempli-' fying the present inventive concept suggests a practical embodiment thereof, but the in- 3 vention is not to be restricted to the exact details of this disclosure, and the latter, therefore, is to be understood from an illustrative, rather than a restrictive standpoint.

The inventive idea involved is capable of receiving a variety of mechanical expressions, one of which. for the purpose of illustration, is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view partly in section through approximately the center of a dispensing device embodying one form of my invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmental perspective view partly in section of the lower portion of the device taken on line 2-2 Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective view partly in section of a portion of the handle and paper gripping mechanism.

Figure t is a fragmental perspective view of the aforementioned mechanism showing the rock and gear mechanism for the paper gripping jaws.

Figure 5 is a fragmental detail view of the belt and chain combination employed in the device for operating the feed mechanism.

Figure 6 is a fragmental detail view in perspective and partly in section of the drive sprocket and the friction roller.

Figure 7 is a fragmental detail view in perspective and partly in section of the belt pulley, spiral tension spring and housing therefor.

Figure 8 is a fragmental detail view in perspective of the rear plate and box connection.

Figure 9 is sectional view taken on line 9-9 Fi ure 1, but with the handle in its operated or forward position.

Figure 10 is a sectional view taken on line 10-1O Figure 1 and Figure 11 is sectional view showing in detail the paper. gripping mechanism. Referring now to the drawings in detail in which but one half of the machine is illustrated,.as the other half is a repetition of that shown, illustrates a box or casing which is provided at the rear thereof with a removable back or plate 21, the said plate being supported in the end walls of the box by means of pins 22 (see Fig. 8) adapted to fit into openings 23 in lugs or extensions 24 in the said walls. The back plate 21 may be directly secured to a wall or other suitable support not shown.

Before mounting the box or casing 20 on the rear plate 21 a stack of sheets 25 are inserted into the said casing. In the present instance these sheets are in the form of toilet seat covers. These sheets of toilet seat covers are maintained in the casing against the rear plate 21 by means of a front plate 28 suspended from a pair of partition walls 29, one near each end of the casing. The suspension means comprises a roller 30 on each upper end of the plate 28 abutting against a projection 31 on the partitions 29 and adapted to ride down on an inclined surface 32 on the said partition walls, (Figures 1 and as the casing is emptied. The front plate is further provided at the lower front thereof with a pair of brackets or lugs 33 supporting a weight in the form of a roller 34 resting on the top of the curved portion of the stack, the curve being formed by an arcuate projection 35 on the rear plate 21. The lower or forward edge of the sheets abut the inner edge of the front wall and rest upon aledge 26 on the casing.

The partition walls 29 divide the casing into a center compartment and two end compartments 41. Near the top and towards the front of each of the end compartments 41 there is suitably mounted a short shaft 42 loosely supporting a spool 43 to which there is secured the free end of a belt 44 which passes over a. rotatably mounted guide pulley 45 on a stub shaft 45a, the said belt 44 extend ing downwardly and passes under a second guide pulley 46 on a stub shaft 47, whence it passes forwardly under a pair of sleeves or roller-s 48 loosely mounted on hubs 49 extending from each side of a sprocket gear 50 secured to a shaft 51 rotatably mounted in a bearing 52 (see Figure 9) in the respective end wall of the casing. After leaving the rollers 48 the belt passes out of the casing through openings 53 in the lower front wall extension 54 thereof, and is connected by means of a connector 55 to a. projection 56 forming a portion of an operating handle 57. The belt 44 is formed of an upper strip 6.0 (see Fig, 5) which is directly secured to the spool 43, an intermediate sprocket chain section 61 and a pair of strips 62 secured to the chain and the handle 57.

Means for maintaining the operating handle 57 in normal position is provided on the shaft 42, and consists of a spiral power spring 65. one endof which is secured to the spool 43 and the opposite end to a spring housing 66 secured to the end wall of the casing 20. A friction roller 67 is screw threadedly or otherwise secured to the sprocket carrying shafts 51 and is rotated every time the sprocket wheels 50 are so actuated.

' The handle 57 has a shaft 68 loosely mounted in the end walls thereof, which shaft supports a plurality of lower gripping jaw members 69, each of the endmost jaw members biz ing provided with a hub. 70 and a reduced portion 71 (see Fig. 2) to which is secured a, spur gear 72 in mesh with a toothed rack portion. 73 forming the ends of a plate 74 rimning across substantially the entire length of the handle 57, which handle is provided with an, inward projection 75 forming the upper member of the sheet gripper. A pair of torsion springs 76 on the shaft 68 is provided for the jaw members 69, one end of which, spring is anchored. to the shaft 68 and the opposite end is secured to the handle 57 so that the said springs will tend to fully open the gripping members when the shaft 68 is not under the control of the operator.

The handle 57 is movably connected to the casing 20 by means of a pair of bars 80 on each end of the device, the said bars being pivotally secured to each other as at 81 and similarly secured to the casing and handle as at 82 and 83 respectively. It will be noted by referring to Figure 9, that the hinge members 80 do not come into a straight line when fully extended. This will avoid a dead center or locking condition between the said hinge members.

Intermediate its ends the handle 57 is provided with a cutout 85, through which projects upwardly a finger piece 86 secured to the rack plate 74. A finger grip 87 adjacent each side of the finger piece 86 also extends upwardly from the handle 57.

The operation of my improved dispensing device is as follows The sheets of paper or other material is first inserted into the casing with their front or lower edges abutting the inner surface of the lower portion 90 of the front wall 91 of the casing 20, and the casing placed on the rear plate 21, after which the handle is given an initial pull forwardly as far out as it will go. During the greater part of this movement the belt sections 6:2 will ride idly on the rollers 45, 46 and 48, but towards the end of this movement the sprocket chain section 61 will engage the sprocket wheel 50 and revolve the friction roller 67 in clockwise direction, (se Fig. 10) which roller is in contact with the underside of the lowermost sheet 25 and draw same to the position shown in Figure 10. The handle is then released and will be drawn back to its normal position by the spring 66. During the first part of this movement the sprocket wheel 50 and roller 67 will be actuated in. anti-clockwise direction and feed the lowermost sheet 25 to the position indicated in Figure 11 in which position it will be ready to be drawn forwardly and out of the casing 20 upon the next forward movement of the handle. This pulling out of the sheet is accomplished in the following manner. The

operator first pulls the finger piece 86 outwardly, which action causes the racks 7 3 to actuate the sprocket gears 72 to revolve the shaft 68 to close the jaws 69 and grip the sheet. Uponfurther pull of the handle 57 the sheet 25 will be drawn out to the Figure 9 position, and will drop down when the finger piece 86 is released to permit the torsion springs 76 to swing the jaws 69 to the dot and dash line position Figure ll. It will be remembered that during the last part of the forward movement of the handle 57 the roller 67 acts to draw back the next sheet 25 in the stack to the Figure 10 position. During the last portion of the return movement ofthe liT') eaaese handle 57 the rear edge 95 of the rack plate 7 will contact with the front wall portion 91.. and actuate the shaft 68 by means of the rack and gear connection to swing the jaws 69 to the full line position shown in Figure 11.. Upon every subsequent forward pull of the handle 57 a sheet 25 will be withdrawn from the casing 20. With every withdrawal of a sheet 25 the weighted plate 28 will move downwardly and rearwa-rdly on the inclined faces 32 of the partition walls 29 and keep the remaining sheets in proper alinement.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a dispensing device for toilet seat covers and other flat articles, the said device being adapted to deliver a single sheet or other article upon each operation of theactuating handle thereof.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device of the nature described, comprising a casing adapted to house a stack of sheets, a movable member hingedly connec ed to the case, a roller in engagement with the lowermost sheet, a wall against which one end of the sheets abut, means for revolving the roller to retract the sheet from its abutment upon a forward movement of the hinged member and to feed the said sheet to an advanced position upon the return movement of the said member and means in the movable member for gripping the sheet at this point.

2. In combination, a casing adapted to store a stack of sheets, means for feeding a single sheet to a predetermined position, a hinged member in operative relation to the casing adapted to be moved outwardly upon its hinges, sheet gripping means on the said member to grip the paper in its aforementioned position to withdraw same from the casing when the member is moved outwardly, means for returning the movable member to normal position, and means for releasing the paper from the gripping means when fully drawn out.

3. In a device of the nature described, a casing adapted to house a stack of sheets, a handle adapted to be moved out of normal position, a pair of foldable members on each side of the handle hingedly connected thereto and the casing, a roller in engagement with the outermost sheet, a sprocket wheel connected to said roller, a rotatably mounted spool on the casing, a power spring in operative engagement with the spool, a belt member secured at one end to the spool and at its opposite end to the handle, and a chain section intermediate the ends of the belt to engage the sprocket wheel at a predetermined point of the outward movement of the handle to retract the outermost sheet from its normal position and to advance same to a position, a pair of foldable members on each I side of the handle hingedly connected theretoy and the casing, a roller in engagement with the outermost sheet, a sprocket wheel connected to. said roller, a rotatably mounted spool on the casing, a power spring in operative engagement with the spool, a belt member secured at one end to the spool'and at its opposite end to the handle, a chain section intermediate the ends of the belt to engage the sprocket wheel at a predetermined point of the outward movement of the handle to retract the outermost sheet from its normal position and to advance same to a further position upon the return of the handle to normal position, and means on the handle to grip the sheet in its advanced position on a subsequent outward movement of the handle.

5. In a device of the nature described, a casing adapted to house a stack of sheets, a handle adapted to be moved out of normal position, a pair of foldable members on each side of the handle hingedly connected thereto and the casing, a roller in engagement with the outermost sheet, a sprocket wheel connected to said roller, a rotatably mounted spool on the casing, a power spring in operative engagement with the spool, a belt mem ber secured at one end to the spool and at its opposite end to the handle, achain section intermediate the ends of the belt to engage the sprocket wheel at a predetermined point of the outward movement of the handle to retract the outermost sheet from its normal position and to advance same to a further position upon the return of the handle to normal position, means on the handle to grip the sheet in its advance position on a subsequent outward movement of the handle, the said means comprising a shaft, an extension on the handle, a gripper finger secured to the shaft, a gear connected thereto, a rack plate in mesh with the gear, and a finger piece on the rack plate by which it may be drawn forwardly to rotate the shaft and close the gripping finger against the extension.

6. In a device of the nature described, a casing adapted to house a stack of sheets, a

handle adapted to be moved out of normal 1 position, a pair of foldable members on each side of the handle hingedly connected thereto and the casing, a roller in engagement with the outermost'sheet, a sprocket wheel connected to said roller, arotatably mounted spool on the casing, a power spring in operative engagement with the spool, a belt member secured at one end to the spool and at its opposite end to the handle, a chain section intermediate the ends of the belt to engage the sprocket wheel at a predetermined point of the outward movement of the handle to retract the outermost sheetfrom its normal position and to advance same to a further position upon the return of the handle to normal position, means on the handle to grip the sheet in its advanced position on a subsequent out-Ward movement of the handle, the said means comprising a shaft, an extension on the handle, a gripper finger secured to the shaft, a gear connected thereto, a rack plate in mesh with the gear, a finger piece on the rack plate by which it may be drawn forwardly to rotate the shaft and close the gripping finger against the extension, and spring means for disengaging the gripping means when the finger piece is released.

7. In a device of the nature described, a casing adapted to house a stack of sheets, a handle hingedly connected to the casing and adapted to he moved away therefrom, means connected to the handle and in operative engagement with the stack to feed the outermost sheet thereof to a predetermined position in one outward movement and return of the handle, gripping means on the handle to grip the said sheet on a subsequent outward movement of the said handle and means for releasing the gripping means.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiix my signature.

LOUIS GRUBER. 

